Dottie's Diner
by Tarafina
Summary: He assumed their first date would be traditional. He should've known better. :Chloe/Oliver:


**Title**: Dottie's Diner  
**Category**: Smallville  
**Rating**: K+  
**Genre**: Humor/Romance  
**Pairing**: Chloe/Oliver  
**Prompt**: Milkshake and Marry - by bluiz610  
**Word Count**: 896  
**Summary**: He assumed their first date would be something traditional.

**_Dottie's Diner_**  
-Drabble

Their first date, he assumed would be something traditional; maybe coffee or a casual lunch. He should have known better. Despite their double lives, he figured she'd go the regular route when it came to dating. He knew her as Watchtower and Sidekick, but he wanted more to know the woman behind the hero and so, after months of banter and flirtation, he finally asked her. "Do you have plans for tomorrow, Chloe?"

And, in typical fashion for the former investigative reporter, she promptly replied. "That depends on who's asking... Oliver Queen, CEO, Green Arrow, leather-fetish hero, or regular Ollie..."

He smirked. "All three."

With a grin of approval over his answer, she nodded. "I think I can free up my schedule. But if that multiple personality disorder of yours gets any worse, we're gonna have to talk."

With a laugh, they agreed to meet the next afternoon at a place she knew and he'd never heard of. Being him, he had immediately thought of the nicest restaurant in Metropolis, but she'd quickly squashed those ideas. "Dottie's Diner on Fourth," she told him, winking before she slung her purse over her shoulder and walked away with an attractive sway to her hips.

Diners weren't his usual place to eat, but he made an exception. More than anything, he wanted this date. There were few who understood him and all that he entailed, but Chloe knew the long and short version and she wasn't running for the hills, so that was a good sign. When he stepped inside, the décor left something to be desired, but he refused to back down. He spotted her in a booth, the seats cracked with age and lack of grooming, still he sat down without protest and grinned at her.

"You came," she said, smiling back.

"As if I'd pass up on a chance to dine with the illustrious Miss Sullivan," he returned easily.

She chuckled. "Illustrious is one way to put it."

A plump waitress stopped in to ask what they'd have and after a quick scan of the menu, they ordered. She walked off, disinterested and tired while he turned his attention back to the blonde sitting across from him. "What do you think?" she wondered, glancing around.

"I think it's... in need of an update," he admitted honestly.

She grinned broadly. "Very true."

"How'd you find it?" It didn't look like the type of place she would spend her time either; there wasn't much to draw her attention. Very few patrons and a staff that had seen better days. It wasn't even on her route to or from the Daily Planet or Isis. So he was at a loss as to how she came across the drab diner.

She shrugged. "Not sure really. Could've been when I was wandering the city. All I know is I have an urge to stop in every few weeks..."

He couldn't imagine why.

A moment later, their drinks were set in front of them. And an unusually quick time later, their lunch too was set on the table. He refused to look disgusted, because he wanted this date to turn out to be more than this. He liked her; had for ages and one crappy diner wasn't going to change that. Although he vowed to show her much better eating establishment as soon as humanly possible.

The food was all that he expected; cheap, greasy and didn't know the meaning of healthy in any way, shape, or form. His burger was overcooked, his fries were soggy, and his coffee was stale. But the company was great and in the end, after pushing away the lackluster meal, she offered the only redeeming trait in the entire place.

"Give this a try," she told him, holding the straw of her vanilla milkshake out. It looked entirely too good to be surrounded by all the eye sores in the diner; creamy vanilla with a cherry sitting center on the whip cream.

He eyed it still, not sure if he wanted to take yet another chance, but she grinned at him and he gave a slight sigh before leaning forward to wrap his lips around the straw. The first drink was like heaven; he nearly moaned. It tasted so good; like childhood and innocence and perfection, all wrapped into one.

"These are the only reason I come back," she admitted, lifting a shoulder. "I've been craving one all week."

_Now_ he knew why she kept coming back.

She stole her straw back and took a nice long sip before licking her lips. "You're lucky," she told him, lifting a brow. "I haven't even introduced Clark to the wonders of the shakes here."

Food forgotten, bad surroundings completely ignored, they spent the rest of the afternoon over a milkshake and by the time they left, he knew two things... That was the _best _date of his entire life and one day, he was going to marry the woman who introduced him to the most incredible drink ever made. They made plans to have dinner soon, at a place of _his _choosing, but he decided then and there, that they'd serve vanilla milkshakes at the wedding rather than champagne. She laughed when he told her, taking his hand as they walked down the street from Dottie's Diner, the most unusual place for the start of their budding relationship.


End file.
